


Perfect Disaster, Ever After

by malecsmagicalarrows



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-03
Updated: 2018-08-03
Packaged: 2019-06-21 03:52:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15549006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/malecsmagicalarrows/pseuds/malecsmagicalarrows
Summary: Izzy sets up a blind date for Alec in hopes of getting him some social interaction. Alec really doesn't want to do this, Maia is a terrible (read: perfect) best friend, and Magnus is hot.





	Perfect Disaster, Ever After

**Author's Note:**

> Serinity!!!!! This literally took forever for me to post and I'm so sorry but here it is!  
> Numbers 5 and 46, Bar/Restaurant AU and Blind Date

It’s at the end of his early evening shift when it happens.

He’s wiping down the crystal glasses and sticky bar, humming early 2000s rock music to himself (he’s really not sure how or when Green Day got stuck in his head, but he’s not really complaining), watching his watch tick down the minutes before he can pick up his paycheck from the back of the restaurant’s kitchen and take his leave.

It’s extremely and shockingly slow for a Thursday evening- usually, they have more customers tonight than on Fridays- and he’s looking forward to going home and binging a few Disney movies on Netflix.

But then he gets the text from his sister, and that’s when everything really begins to fall in the shit hole.

_Izzy_

_8:48 PM_

_Don’t forget about the blind date I scheduled for you tonight! And remember what I said: even if you don’t like the guy like that, you can still be friends, so don’t just brush him off, kay? Love you!_

He pockets his phone quickly, immediately regretting having taken a look at it. He can’t even reply to her now, to try and cancel somehow, because the date is at 9:15, here at the restaurant bar. He’s not entirely sure why he agreed to let Izzy schedule a date for him, especially at his workplace, but he’s certain it has something to do with her puppy eyes.

Those damn eyes. He really can’t resist his baby sister anything.

“You good, Lightwood?” Maia calls from across the other side of the bar, “You were humming and smiling before you looked at your phone. Did Jace text you?”

“No, worse,” Alec sighed, “It was Izzy.”

“What could she possibly have done?” Maia asked, eyebrows scrunched up in confusion, “She’s like, everyone’s favorite Lightwood.”

“Thanks,” Alec scoffed, “Not like we’re best friends or anything.”

“Izzy’s my girlfriend,” Maia shrugs, “She has to be my favorite person. It’s like, a rule.”

“And Simon?” Alec asked pointedly, eyebrows raised, “You’re with him, too, you know.”

“I’m allowed to have more than one favorite person,” Maia retorted, “And anyways, you never answered my question. What did Izzy do?”

“She set me up on some blind date in,” he pauses to check his watch, “20 minutes, here at the bar.”

Maia shudders, “And you agreed to this?”

“You know how it is,” Alec said, “It’s the eyes.”

“That’s fair,” Maia shrugged.

Alec hums, and puts away the last of the glasses. He glances at his watch once more, and notes that he has one minute left of his shift. He sighs, and waves at Maia with a pointed look, and she waves back with a little snicker.

“Have fun, lover boy,” she shouts out, “I’ll see you in a few.”

He rolls his eyes, and walks through the kitchen doors, all the way to the back where the manager’s office is. He pushes past the door, and nods at Luke sitting behind his desk.

“What’s up, Lightwood,” Luke acknowledges, reaching down into the drawer that he keeps the employee checks in, “Here’s this week’s check.”

“Thanks, Luke,” Alec says, taking the envelope and sticking it in the messenger bag he had picked up on the way through the kitchen.

“You heading home?” Luke asks conversationally.

“Unfortunately not,” Alec sighs, “Izzy has a date for me.”

“Again?” Luke asks, “Who is she setting you up with this time?”

“Did I mention it’s a blind date?” he replies.

Luke smirks at that, taking joy in his agony. Asshole.

“Go have a good time, then,” Luke says, “Oh, and don’t let Maia harass you too much.”

Alec grimaces, and waves at Luke as he walks out the door.

This is going to be a dumpster fire.

* * *

He walks up to the bar and takes a seat, ignoring Maia’s smirk. He places his phone face down on the bar, as Izzy had requested of him, and waited. He looked at his watch, and noted there was 5 minutes left until his date was supposed to be here. He resists the urge to pick up his phone to scroll through it.

He’s only waiting for maybe a minute when a blonde man walks up and sits in the stool next to him. Alec looks up, and raises his eyebrows slightly. The man seems nice enough, but blondes aren’t really his thing, if he’s being honest. He bites back a sigh.

“You’re Alec, I presume?” the man asks, “Isabelle Lightwood’s brother?”

“Yeah, that’s me,” he says, “And you are?”

“John Underhill,” the man says. There’s a slightly awkward silence, before John clears his throat. “Listen, uh, Alec,” the man starts, “I’m really not looking for this to be a date.”

Alec breathes a deep sigh of relief, “Oh thank god,” he says.

John laughs at that, “Yeah, uhm, you’re attractive enough, and you seem pretty nice, but I’m not really looking for a relationship, especially not one from a blind date.”

“Yeah, me neither,” Alec says, taking a glance at Maia just a few inches down the bar, “Though at the moment I wouldn’t mind making a new friend.” Maia glares at him at that, and John doesn’t notice, but he does laugh.

“I was thinking the same thing,” he says.

* * *

About half an hour later, their faces are pleasantly flushed and they’ve had about four beers between the two of them. They’ve started looking around the restaurant area, searching for attractive faces and trying to guess who’s here for what.

Maia had elected to ignore their slightly drunken antics, opting to flirt with Simon, who had shown up about 15 minutes ago to provide her company (and to make fun of Alec, he was sure of it).

A few minutes into their little game, an attractive Asian man walks in and heads straight to the bar, ignoring the restaurant area completely. Alec flushes brighter, appreciating the man’s smooth walk and the jeans that hugged his legs attractively.

John nudges him with his elbow, grinning, and Maia leaves Simon to make a cocktail for the man who now balanced gracefully on one of the bar stools. Maia quirked an eyebrow in Alec’s direction, smirking, and slid the drink across the bar top to the man. He thanked her, handing over a crisp 20- plenty of compensation for the drink plus a more than generous tip. Alec kind of wished he was the one working the bar right now, and not just for the money- though that was always deeply appreciated. The man was gorgeous, and not only that, he was alone. A perfect candidate for striking up a conversation. Maia lingered near him for a moment, wiping things down, just in case conversation was what he was seeking. He didn’t say anything though, just sipped at his drink, and so Maia returned at the right end of the bar.

“You should go talk to him,” John suggested, eyebrows raised at Alec’s obvious fascination.

Alec shook his head, “No way, not when I’ve been drinking,” he said, “I’m a gay, social disaster when I have alcohol in my system, and I refuse to embarrass myself in front of someone as beautiful as him.”

John hummed a little, then patted Alec on the back in a friendly manner, standing up. Alec gave him a quizzical look that morphed into horror as John walked over to the man, determination in his stance.

Oh, God.

Alec shifted anxiously in his seat, trying his best to look natural as John introduced himself, conversating so simply with the man that Alec wondered if the two beers he’d had were even affecting him at all. He could hear the conversation from where he sat, and was grateful for it. He learned that the man’s name was Magnus, that John was suspiciously good at talking to him without tripping over his words, and that they were talking about him, fuck.

Magnus and John spared a glance in his direction, and Magnus waved his ring clad hand, promptly giving Alec a heart attack. He’d never thought hands could be attractive before now. He waved back, smiling nervously, and the man beamed. He flushed, then steeled his resolve and got out of his stool, heading over to them. John smiled, satisfied, and Alec introduced himself awkwardly. Magnus didn’t seem to mind, though.

“It’s good to meet you, Alexander,” Magnus said, and Alec was sure he would die right there. He’d never liked his full name, but hearing it fall from Magnus’ lips was probably the best thing he’d heard in his life. Alec smiled, dopey and cheerful, and John shook his head behind him, then clapped his hand on his shoulder, snapping him out of his daze.

“Well,” John sad, “I’m gonna go ahead and go home. I have to be up early tomorrow.”

Alec nodded, “Get home safe,” he said, and John waved vaguely as he walked to the front of the restaurant, heading out.

They watched John leave, then turned their attention back to each other. Magnus gestured for Alec to sit, so he did, blushing.

“Where were we?” Magnus asked, sipping at his cocktail again.

Alec stuttered through the rest of that conversation, but the more that they talked, the more he began to loosen up. He wasn’t drinking anymore- he’d left his beer on the other side of the bar, which Maia cleaned up, and he didn’t really want to order anything else.

Several hours later- which Alec hadn’t even felt pass by- Maia leaned against the bar across from them, looking at Alec pointedly.

“We’re closing,” she said, and they smiled a little sheepishly, standing to gather their things and leave. Maia smirked at Alec as he left, waving goodbye, and he scowled playfully in her direction.

As they stepped out into the chilly September evening air, Alec took a deep breath. This is where things always got awkward. He never knew what to do or say.

“That was fun,” Magnus said, “I’d like to do it again.”

Alec beamed, relieved, “Me too,” he said.

“Would you like to walk with me?” Magnus asked, eyebrow raised in question.

“I’d like that,” Alec said, and Magnus gestured him in the direction of his apartment, which was thankfully in the same direction as Alec’s own home.

On the way, they chatted nonsensically, both glad that the night wasn’t over quite yet.

Nearing the loft, though, they began to walk slower, dreading the finality of being on the front step of Magnus’ apartment complex, which Alec learned that he was the owner of. They couldn’t avoid their final destination, though. Approaching the door to the building, they said nothing, the conversation having died peacefully about a block away.

Magnus turned to him, and Alec smiled.

“Goodnight, Alexander,” he said, and pulled out a card, which he handed to Alec, “Call me.”

Alec nodded, observing the sleek business card, smile bright on his face. He hadn’t really stopped smiling all night, and his cheeks hurt from the effort.

Somehow, he had the feeling he wouldn’t stop smiling for as long as he knew Magnus Bane.


End file.
